The Brooklyn Nets are on the verge of hiring suspended Boston Celtics Coach Ime Udoka to replace the fired Steve Nash. Yes, you read that sentence right. Udoka would certainly have his work cut out for him with controversial star Kyrie Irving in his own right.
From ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who broke the initial news:
“Suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka has emerged as the likely next Brooklyn Nets head coach and his hiring could be finalized as soon as the next 24-to-48 hours, sources tell ESPN. Celtics will let him leave for another job,” Adrian Wojnarowski.
“The hope is that Udoka can tighten the Nets defensively and command the respect of franchise’s key players. Udoka spent a season on Steve Nash’s staff before accepting the Celtics job and winning the Eastern Conference. With suspension, his future in Boston was essentially over,” Wojnarowski added.
Minutes later, Shams Charania, added to Wojnarowski’s report:
“The Brooklyn Nets plan to hire Ime Udoka as their new head coach, sources tell The Athletic and Stadium. Boston granted the Nets permission to speak to Udoka and will allow him to leave freely, sources said,” Charania tweeted.
Brooklyn was apparently one of many teams to inquire about Udoka’s transgressions:
“Brooklyn, among other teams, has quietly done due diligence on the circumstances of Ime Udoka‘s suspension in Boston, source told Sports Illustrated. With Udoka unlikely to ever return to the Celtics bench, teams have been looking into what happened,” Chris Mannix said.
The Nets have yet to officially announce the hiring.
About DJ Byrnes